The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

MARINE REVIE Vor, Vil. CLEVEEAND, OHIO, TAU RSDAY. | uN \erorcoce The Pacific Coast Whaleback. The whaleback passenger and freight steamer being con- structed at Everett, Wash., the Puget sound town recently built up by eastern capalists who are interested in the American Steel Barge Company, is well along toward completion. The accom- panying illustration, made from a photograph, will give an idea of the appearance of the boat. WHALEBACK BUILDING ON THE PACIFIC COAST. The Frontier Iron Works Company, Detroit, Mich., will build triple expansion surface condensing engines for this steamer. 'Iheengines will be 24, 38 and 64 inches by 42 inches stroke, and the most complete salt water machinery turned out of any lake shop. Many improvements in this style of engine will be used for the first time. This makes the third large triple en- gine built by this company for ocean steamers. The others were for the Mackinaw and Keweenaw. «The Big Chapin Pumping Plant. The engraving given herewith is from a drawing of an engine which is notable not only for its large size, but also for the special adaptation of its design to the work which it is intended to do. It was recently built by the Edward P. Allis Company of Milwaukee, for the Chapin Mining Company of Iron Mountain, Mich. It is a compound engine of the steeple pattern and is designed to raise water up a vertical shaft from a depth of 1,500 feet. 'The work will be done by plunger pumps placed in the shaft about 200 feet apart. 'These pumps have plungers 28 inches in diameter and 10 feet stroke. The plungers are con- nected and driven by a steel rod 7 inches in diameter extending to the bottom of the shaft and working in guides placed about 20 feet apart. At its upper end this driving-rod is connected to the beam shown in the engraving, from which it receives a reciprocating motion, and which is, in turn, driven directly by the engine. The high pressure cylinder of the engine is 50 inches in diameter and 1o feet stroke, and the low pressure cylinder 100 inches in diameter and 1o feet stroke. The ratio of the cylinders is 1:4. 'The engine is designed to work with 125 pounds pres- sure. Steam is supplied by vertical tubular boilers of the Reynolds type. The cylinders have poppet valve-gear with a trip cut-off on the high pressure cylinder and a Stevens cut-off -- on the low pressure cylinder. There is an independent steam- power air pump and a surface condenser, and in the latter, part of the water raised from the mine will be used for condensing purposes. A peculiar feature of this engine is that the cylinders and valve-gear are so proportioned and arranged that the engine can be run by compressed air instead of steam, if desired. In run- ning with air, the large or low pressure cylinder would be used as the initial cylinder. The Chapin Company has a plant of large capacity at Quinnesec Falls, where air is compressed by water- power, and from this plant the engine can be supplied, should it be decided to dispense with steam. -- The great size and capacity of the engine will be better understood from some of the details. The journals of the main shaft and of the beam centers are 24 inches in diameter and 36 inches long. 'The crank-pin, crosshead-pin and the pins on the beam have bearings 16 inches in diameter and 18 inches long. The connecting rod is 30 feet in length and is 15 inches in diameter at the center. The fly wheel is 4o feet in diameter and 56 Pa BIG CHAPIN MINE ENGINE. weighs 160 tons. 'The main beam is 32 feet between centers, and its weight complete is 100 tons. The total weight of the engine, including only the parts shown in the engraving, and excluding the pumps and other work in the shaft, is 600 tons. Its total height above the engine room floor is 54 feet. It isone of the largest stationary engines inthe country. The illustration is from the American Engineer and Railroad Journal, New York, A Most Important Measure. The action of the House of Representatives on Thursday in passing the Brickner omnibus light-house bill will give to the lakes more aids to navigation than have ever before been received in a single measure. This bill only authorizes the lights, fog signals, etc., but it is a great victory to have it passed. There will now be less trouble in securing appropriations. 'The senate will undoubtedly pass the bill without hesitancy, and something in the way of appropriations may be secured from the present congress. The measure just passed authorizes an expenditure of about $450,000 on the lakes.